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Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

Browns Did Not Submit Offer To Joe Flacco

September 30th, 2024 at 11:07am CST by Sam Robinson

In a development that probably pleased an assortment of fantasy GMs tied to Colts wide receivers, Joe Flacco stepped in after Anthony Richardson‘s minor hip injury and stabilized Indianapolis’ passing attack Sunday. The NFL’s second-oldest active quarterback, behind Aaron Rodgers, showed he remains a viable relief option.

Flacco executed this routine for an extended period last season in Cleveland, rescuing a Browns team that had lost Deshaun Watson to a shoulder fracture. Despite not making his season debut until December, Flacco won Comeback Player of the Year honors after directing the Browns to an 11-6 season and a wild-card spot. The longtime Ravens starter had expressed continued interest in a second Browns season, but the team went in a different direction by signing Jameis Winston. The Colts then landed Flacco, who signed a one-year deal worth $4.5MM.

[RELATED: Near-Future Watson Benching Not On Browns’ Radar]

This contract is Flacco’s most lucrative since his Ravens extension expired after a season in Denver, and while the Colts have since seen the 17th-year veteran remains capable, the Browns did not want him back. Flacco confirmed, via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, he never received an offer to stay in Cleveland.

The former Super Bowl MVP had previously said he was surprised the Browns did not re-sign him, but a market did exist. Prior to committing to Shane Steichen‘s team, Flacco received an offer to return to the Eagles. The Colts did not rule out re-signing Gardner Minshew, but his price moved well beyond the team’s comfort zone. With the Raiders agreeing to terms with Minshew on a two-year, $25MM deal hours into the legal tampering period, the Colts pivoted to Flacco as Richardson insurance.

The AFC South team needed to cash in on that early, and although Richardson might not miss any time due to the hip pointer he sustained against the Steelers, Flacco proved a more accurate passer than the dynamic second-year starter. Richardson entered Week 4 with an NFL-low 49% completion rate; Flacco completed 61.5% of his throws (16-for-26, 168 yards) and tossed two touchdown passes against Pittsburgh.

While Indianapolis is not planning to sit Richardson to aid his development, Cleveland is stuck with Watson due to authorizing a fully guaranteed $230MM contract in 2022. Watson has wildly underwhelmed, costing an otherwise well-built Browns team. Winston came to Ohio after four seasons with the Saints. The former No. 1 overall pick lost his job to Andy Dalton in 2022 and backed up Derek Carr last season, but the Browns had sought him over Flacco.

In March, Watson supported a Winston signing. The Browns gave him a one-year, $4MM deal. Cleveland had considered a reunion with Jacoby Brissett but did not want to match the $8MM offered from the Patriots. The team was believed to have viewed Flacco as a backup plan in the event Winston and Brissett ended up elsewhere, and the fallout from this QB2 chapter ended a stunningly productive partnership.

Given Flacco’s performance last season, calls undoubtedly for him to replace Watson would be ever-present in Cleveland had the sides huddled on on the reunion the late-3o-something wanted. But he is now in the role Minshew played effectively last season. Indy deciding to rest Richardson would lead to more work from the 12-year starter-turned-QB2 nomad.

Browns To Open RB Nick Chubb’s Practice Window

September 29th, 2024 at 10:22am CST by Rory Parks

The struggles of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson have been a key storyline in Cleveland in the early stages of the 2024 season, and as the team continues to hope for a turnaround from its high-priced passer, it appears that a key piece of the offensive puzzle will be returning fairly soon. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Browns will open the practice window for running back Nick Chubb – who is currently on the PUP list – on Wednesday.

Once that happens, the Browns will have three weeks to activate Chubb, and if they do not do so within that timeframe, the four-time Pro Bowler will be forced to miss the entire season. Although Rapoport cautions that Chubb is unlikely to return to game action in Week 5, the fact that Cleveland is getting him on the practice field obviously means that the club expects him to be ready to suit up in short order.

His presence will be most welcome. Through the first three weeks of the campaign, the Browns rank 31st in total offense and in the bottom-10 in terms of rushing yards per game. Their ground attack is presently paced by Jerome Ford and D’Onta Foreman, and while Ford has performed well (5.0 yards per carry on 29 totes), Foreman has struggled, and Chubb is one of the game’s best backs when healthy.

Unfortunately, a brutal knee injury sustained in Week 2 of the 2023 season threatened not only Chubb’s future in Cleveland, but his entire playing career. His injury required two operations, and he opened training camp on the PUP list. Unsurprisingly, he remained on the list through final roster cuts, which required him to miss the first four games of the season.

Player and team agreed to a reworked contract this offseason, and although Chubb accepted a pay cut as part of the restructure, he need only be on the active roster for 12 games to collect a $225K roster bonus (incentives allowing him to recoup some of the money he was originally owed are also present). Between that and the fact that Cleveland is opening Chubb’s practice window in the next couple of days, it would seem that a Week 6 return is in play.

Chubb’s reworked deal did not include additional years of club control, so he will still be a free agent at season’s end. Needless to say, a return to his previous stellar form – he boasts a career 5.3 YPC average on 1,238 carries – would represent a major boon to his future earning power and to the Browns’ 2024 fortunes.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/24

September 28th, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Ely Allen

Minor transactions and practice squad callups for the Week 4 weekend:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Elevated: G Kyle Hergel

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Browns Unlikely To Bench Deshaun Watson

September 25th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bad quarterback investments have been frequent over the past few years. With due respect to the ill-fated moves outside Ohio, the Browns are on their own tier regarding a potential misstep due to the contract and trade compensation required to bring Deshaun Watson to town. Fifteen starts in across three seasons, this acquisition has not come close to producing what Cleveland sought.

The Browns have seen glimmers of hope from their high-priced passer, but he has wildly underperformed based on expectations. Watson, the NFL’s passing leader during his final active season in Houston and a three-time Pro Bowler who drew historic trade offers from at least three other teams in 2022, ranks ahead of only Bryce Young in QBR this season. At 29, the embattled quarterback has not responded well at a career crossroads.

It also may not exactly be accurate to label the former Pro Bowler as being at a crossroad point, as his 2025 and ’26 seasons — on a $230MM contract — are fully guaranteed. The Browns are dealing with the kind of trouble NBA and MLB teams run into upon authorizing a bad long-term contract, as the deals are almost always fully guaranteed in those leagues. Guardrails are in place in the NFL to protect teams against this type of situation unfolding. Owners already veered away from this contract structure — based on the QB deals finalized since Watson’s March 2022 windfall — and based on the Browns’ return on investment, another big-ticket fully guaranteed accord is highly unlikely to commence anytime soon.

A murky path to the Browns voiding Watson’s guarantees may exist if the QB is suspended in connection with the latest sexual assault allegation to emerge, but the team is still committed to making this fit work on the field. A quick hook involving the eighth-year passer is unlikely to commence due to the investment the Browns made, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Jameis Winston sits as the Browns’ backup, with the team having passed — to the surprise of some — on re-signing Joe Flacco, who is now the Colts’ backup.

Watson showed concerning form following his 2022 suspension, but that was effectively written off due to the lengthy midcareer layoff his off-field trouble and 2021 trade request brought. Last season featured the Browns go 5-1 in Watson’s starts, offering some hope the team could salvage this widely criticized acquisition. The team fired its OC and QBs coach (Alex Van Pelt, T.C. McCartney) despite Flacco’s shocking run to Comeback Player of the Year honors in Kevin Stefanski‘s system. Themed around wanting an offense more in line with Watson’s skillset, the Browns retooled under their newly extended HC.

Ken Dorsey‘s arrival has not brought improved play. And curiosity about how long the Browns want to keep going here has understandably become part of this equation. While Watson has not played with Nick Chubb since September 2023 and has not enjoyed a healthy O-line this season — as evidenced by the Giants’ eight-sack spree in Week 3 — his issues in Stefanski’s offense have existed since his 2022 debut.

Although a recent rumor pointed to the Browns bracing for another Watson ban, no present path to the team escaping the guarantees exists. The team, which also extended GM Andrew Berry this offseason despite the Watson contract occurring on his watch, is on the hook for $92MM in guaranteed salary from 2025-26.

The Browns have restructured Watson’s contract twice, inflating the dead money that would come in the event of a separation before 2027. It would cost them an astonishing $172MM in dead money to part ways with the struggling QB in 2025. That would introduce more new territory for dead money catastrophes. The Broncos’ $83MM-plus dead cap hit from Russell Wilson‘s contract already more than doubled the previous record.

We are not there yet, but barring a dramatic uptick from a quarterback who returned from a shoulder fracture, the Browns are stuck. Watson’s play could sink an otherwise well-built roster, one featuring players from two playoff teams since 2020.

Winston has 80 career starts on his resume, though he was erratic in Tampa and then benched in New Orleans for Andy Dalton early in the 2022 season. For now, the former No. 1 overall pick would only see time if another Watson injury occurs. Though, the on-field component of the Browns’ borderline disastrous QB situation — as more off-field drama plays out — certainly bears monitoring given the early-season results.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/24

September 25th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

New England Patriots

New York Giants

After suffering a pectoral injury in Week 2, Ja’Whaun Bentley officially landed on injured reserve today. With the linebacker expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season, the player willingly gave up his captaincy to safety Kyle Dugger, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.

Ty Summers was promoted from the practice squad for each of the Giants’ first three games, so the team had no choice but to sign the linebacker to the active roster. The former seventh-round pick has exclusively played on special teams for the Giants this season, and he hasn’t seen the field for a defensive snap since he was with the Packers in 2021.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/25/24

September 25th, 2024 at 6:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Signed: WR John Jiles

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: DT Shakel Brown

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Trenton Gill has caught on with the Buccaneers practice squad after getting cut by the Broncos back in August. Gill spent the previous two seasons as the Bears full-time punter, with the 25-year-old averaging 46 yards per punt while landing 28.6 percent of his punts inside the 20. As Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes, this addition is a sign that Bucs punter Jake Camarda may be on the hot seat. The former fourth-round pick is averaging a career-low 39.8 net yards per punt.

Browns To Place G Wyatt Teller On IR

September 25th, 2024 at 10:17am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 25: The team has moved Teller to IR, per Cabot. Considering the veteran guard’s timetable, this move is unsurprising. Though, it comes as the Browns continue to see their tackles unable to play together. Wills and Conklin have not completed a game together since the 2022 season. Teller is now out until at least Week 8.

SEPTEMBER 23: Wyatt Teller suffered a knee injury on Sunday, and he is now facing a notable absence. The Pro Bowl Browns guard is dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

As a result, Garafolo adds an absence of roughly four weeks is expected. Head coach Kevin Stafanski said on Monday the team is considering injured reserve, a move which would require at least four games on the sidelines. An IR stint would come as no surprise given Teller’s reported recovery timeline, although Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes a second opinion is being sought out before any final decisions are made.

Losing Teller for any extended period would of course represent a major blow to Browns’ O-line. The 29-year-old has formed one of the league’s top guard tandems alongside Joel Bitonio since 2019. The last time Teller missed signficant time was in 2020, when he was sidelined for five games. A similar span on the sidelines appears to be in store.

Teller earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020 and again the following year. He has been a Pro Bowler for each of the past three seasons, leading to expectations for another standout campaign in 2024. As the Browns move forward with question marks at the quarterback spot, though, they will be increasingly shorthanded up front. Left tackle Jedrick Wills made his season debut yesterday, but fellow lineman James Hudson suffered a shoulder injury which Cabot notes will require an MRI. Right tackle Jack Conklin has yet to play this season.

Third-round rookie Zak Zinter logged a career-high 51 offensive snaps in Week 3, and he could be in line to handle starting duties while Teller is sidelined. Cleveland dedicated two return slots to Michael Dunn and Nyheim Hines before roster cutdowns, leaving the team with six IR activations. Teller will use up one of them once healthy in the event he is indeed moved to injured reserve.

Browns DE Myles Garrett To Consider Offseason Foot Surgery

September 22nd, 2024 at 8:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

8:10pm: When speaking after the Browns’ Week 3 loss, Garrett said his foot issue is having a detrimental effect on his legs (h/t The Athletic’s Zac Jackson). Without time to heal, that problem could continue over at least the short term.

3:11pm: A foot issue led to some missed time for Myles Garrett in Week 2, but he did not carry a designation heading into today’s matchup. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is not expected to miss game action as a result of the ailment, but surgery could be an option down the road.

Specifically, Garrett is dealing with pain in both of his feet. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes the three-time All-Pro underwent a procedure as a nine-year-old to address flat feet, which may be related to the current problem (video link). In any case, pain management will be required on Garrett’s part for an extended period. After the current campaign, a procedure will be considered.

“We talk about [surgery after the season] but that’s something that we’ll talk about further down the line,” the 28-year-old said (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi). “The issue itself is something that I’ll probably have to deal with for however long I end up playing. So it’s about managing that and playing through it.”

The former No. 1 pick has played double-digit games every year of his career, and he will be able to do so again in 2024 if he can tolerate the pain level he is currently dealing with. Garrett added he is hopeful the issue will get better over time as the season progresses. If that does not turn out to be the case, though, it would not come as a surprise if surgery were to become a distinct possibility.

Garrett earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2018 and then each year from 2020-23. His 90.5 sacks since being drafted rank second in the NFL, underlying his importance to the Browns. Cleveland also has Za’Darius Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo along the edge, but they of course play complementary roles to Garrett, the focal point of one of the league’s top defenses from 2023. Remaining strong on that side of the ball will be key to the Browns’ efforts to return to the postseason.

Garrett recorded a strip sack in each of his first two games, and he will again be counted on as one of the league’s top defensive players if he can stay on the field for the rest of the season. Whether or not he can do so with reasonable pain levels will be worth watching closely over the next few weeks in particular.

Browns LT Jedrick Wills To Debut In Week 3

September 22nd, 2024 at 11:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Jedrick Wills did not suffer an ACL tear, but a knee injury has kept the four-year Browns left tackle out of action since Week 9 of last season. The string of missed games will stop today for the contract-year blocker.

The Browns have listed Wills as active, and TheLandOnDemand.com’s Tony Grossi indicates the former first-round pick will be the team’s left tackle starter opposite from Dawand Jones. While Wills is back, Jack Conklin — after making his return from an ACL tear last week — is out.

Although an MCL sprain was primary issue impacting Wills’ lengthy absence, he missed all this time due to also sustaining PCL damage and bone bruises in his injured right knee. Wills missed all of Cleveland’s offseason program and training camp but avoided the reserve/PUP list. That will allow a Week 3 debut, whereas a PUP placement would have required a four-game absence. Conklin missed all of Browns camp as well, but he had suffered an ACL tear for the second time as a pro. Conklin is also secure with a third lucrative contract, while Wills is playing for his second.

Seeing his fifth-year option ($19.7MM) picked up in May 2023, Wills must answer questions in a pivotal year. He can begin that effort in earnest against the Giants today, and the Browns now have four of their five O-line starters healthy. The Browns have guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller signed beyond 2024, and center Ethan Pocic‘s three-year deal runs through 2025.

Conklin’s most recent extension covers him through 2026, but no guarantees are still in place post-2024 on that contract. Conklin, 30, will need to show he can stay healthy this season. That effort is not going especially well so far, with the ninth-year tackle logging two full practices before being limited Friday and out today. Conklin should be expected to return next week, per Grossi, but this is obviously a situation to monitor given the former first-rounder’s injury past.

Wills, 25, has started every game he has played (53) since the Browns made him the 10th overall pick in 2020. This included a 15-game 2020 season and a 17-game 2022 effort. Pro Football Focus graded Wills as a mid-pack tackle from 2020-22, before assigning him a worse grade last season.

Next year could present a host of interesting options for tackle-needy teams. As of now, Wills joins Ronnie Stanley, Garett Bolles and Cam Robinson as veteran LTs unsigned. The Rams’ Alaric Jackson is also out of contract after this season. Extensions may well thin this crop, but Wills is younger than this lot and could have nearly 70 starts on his NFL resume after this season.

Of course, the Alabama alum will need to show he has recovered from his troublesome knee malady to set himself up for a big payday — either from the Browns or a tackle-seeking team in free agency — come 2025.

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